Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[BrickFit26]

Makes sense ss to why out of the many modulars that have made it ton10k have never been approved for LEGO Ideas. This new rule claims it as an original IP for them to use only.

[Roebuck]

Maybe Lego do not want the competition for their modular line?

 

[Black Falcon]

On 8/2/2024 at 11:38 PM, Murdoch17 said:

Speaking of modular compatible, Bricklink Designer Program (BDP) will no longer allow modular building-compatible submissions starting with Series 6. Things like Brick Cross Train Station or Modular Construction Site will no longer be accepted in the future.

To quote the whole new ruleset as posted on Bricklink for those curious:

In essence, we won't see another modular building - or even anything close to one - from the BDP. Also, it kina worries me they claim the modular style is a IP owned by them.... it's a building style for crying out loud! How can you own something so vague and intangible as that?

BDP is their event so they can make the rules of what they want to be and what not - and telling it upfront is basically much more fair than just not accepting them. That beeing said, Icons is their IP, but they do nowhere claim that they would be the only ones that are allowed to do Modulars - but they set certain rules for the BDP that make sure that the IPs they are currently using won´t be used for the BDP and that Modulars that are beeing made look different from the system how Lego does them.

The rules especially say that if a building looks similar to their Modulars Design Language, they have to use a different base technique - but it nowhere says that Modulars wouldn´t be allowed at all.

4 hours ago, Roebuck said:

Maybe Lego do not want the competition for their modular line?

Well they basically don´t want to have stuff in the BDP that they are already selling themselves - and very likely, since they are no direct lego product also want to make sure that they don´t look like they would belong to an existing series, which the modulars are.

[Lion King]

23 hours ago, hikouki said:

 

I suppose I will just keep getting my modulars from rebrickable then.

Now that you mention it…I wonder if red bricks will face legal troubles made by Lego in future in regards to Modular’s?

[hrdknxbrix]

On 8/2/2024 at 5:38 PM, Murdoch17 said:

In essence, we won't see another modular building - or even anything close to one - from the BDP. Also, it kina worries me they claim the modular style is a IP owned by them.... it's a building style for crying out loud! How can you own something so vague and intangible as that?

I'm not sure they are claiming the building style (this would be counterproductive as ALL "legal" building styles could then be considered their IP) as IP but rather the Modular label as a trademark the same as Ninjago, Dreamzz, Friends and Monkie Kid.  But they are limiting the building style as it copies their own in-house designs.  At this point, though, it would probably be difficult to enforce the trademark as they have let it be used by others for so long; however,  I do think that MOC designers should start labeling their instructions as "Modular-compatible'.

[RichardGoring]

I don't think they're suggesting that others can't make modulars. More than they don't want the BDP to be overrun by modulars, setting everyone up for disappointment when they don't select them, as it will compete with an internal line and/or cause too much confusion with official LEGO products that are held to a different standard.

[hikouki]

On 8/4/2024 at 6:32 PM, hrdknxbrix said:

I'm not sure they are claiming the building style (this would be counterproductive as ALL "legal" building styles could then be considered their IP) as IP but rather the Modular label as a trademark the same as Ninjago, Dreamzz, Friends and Monkie Kid.  But they are limiting the building style as it copies their own in-house designs.  At this point, though, it would probably be difficult to enforce the trademark as they have let it be used by others for so long; however,  I do think that MOC designers should start labeling their instructions as "Modular-compatible'.

You find the word/ description "modular" everywhere, and beyond just building toys!!!

23 hours ago, RichardGoring said:

I don't think they're suggesting that others can't make modulars. More than they don't want the BDP to be overrun by modulars, setting everyone up for disappointment when they don't select them, as it will compete with an internal line and/or cause too much confusion with official LEGO products that are held to a different standard.

I hope that Lego's announcement makes all these modular-builders to post their instructions on RB from now on instead of wasting their time on the Ideas web site. LOL

[Lion King]

12 hours ago, hikouki said:

I hope that Lego's announcement makes all these modular-builders to post their instructions on RB from now on instead of wasting their time on the Ideas web site. LOL

Would it be likely for Lego to sue. Against rebricks?

[RichardGoring]

14 hours ago, hikouki said:

I hope that Lego's announcement makes all these modular-builders to post their instructions on RB from now on instead of wasting their time on the Ideas web site. LOL

Agreed. Although there are lots of great ones on there already, which is fabulous. What I really like about the BDP program is that it's using the current parts palette, so it's easy to get the parts you need. Some of the Rebrickable MOCs use parts that can be really expensive which adds a niggle to the process that I personally get frustrated by.

2 hours ago, Lion King said:

Would it be likely for Lego to sue. Against rebricks?

No. There is surely no basis for them to sue a company that provides original designs. It would also be massively, massively counterproductive against a large core of LEGO's customer base.

[Lion King]

Ah good to know. I’m not really concerned about BDP not accepting any Modular Buidling stuff and I’m not really interested in rebricks.  I guess my wallet is grateful.

Anyways…. It might be too early for me to predict but I noticed something the cycle between corner and straight buildings. Sine we hae two straight Modular buildings (Jazz Club and Natural History Museum) in the same year, 2023. It’s ver obvious that we are expecting for a corner building . 

 

If it’s true for 2024’s modular as a corner building, then… 2025 and 2026 would have straight buildings. That means, 2027 probalby will have a corner building and its 20th annivesary that year.  

Of course, Lego probably will change its pattern in a few years again so we will see. 

[hikouki]

So, what layouts have they not explored yet? I could think of the 'reverse corner' as one. Perhaps a circular building? A building with a slanted wall?

[BrickFit26]

Hmm. A circular biluilding in the middle of 2 square shops could work as a corner building.

[Lion King]

I would like to see a L-shaped / reverse corner building. I have no idea what circular bulding looks like - is it like Boutiue Hotel? 

[Yoggington]

On 8/9/2024 at 1:25 PM, Lion King said:

I would like to see a L-shaped / reverse corner building. I have no idea what circular bulding looks like - is it like Boutiue Hotel? 

Like this on a corner could be one type of circular layout.

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-181009/Brick Artisan/birch-commercial-bldg-facade-only/#details

[RichardGoring]

2 hours ago, Yoggington said:

Like this on a corner could be one type of circular layout.

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-181009/Brick Artisan/birch-commercial-bldg-facade-only/#details

I do really like that one. 

I wonder if they'd consider a round tower too? Might be very limited for space and use cases though. But could be really impressive.

[Lion King]

9 hours ago, Yoggington said:

Like this on a corner could be one type of circular layout.

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-181009/Brick Artisan/birch-commercial-bldg-facade-only/#details

Not bad, I like it. 

Thanks for the link.

[BrickFit26]

18 hours ago, Yoggington said:

Like this on a corner could be one type of circular layout.

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-181009/Brick Artisan/birch-commercial-bldg-facade-only/#details

Love it.

[Yoggington]

The same guy has a YouTube video about a slightly different iteration of that rebrickeable link. He's kinda cobbled the Brick Bank interior into part of it. It's an interesting mishmash, though the layout is still what really steals the show.

So if you liked the still images on the link, you may enjoy seeing how it all works together, the build from different angles, and with some interiors added.

 

Edited August 13 by Yoggington

[GregD]

With 3 possible “modulars” coming - X-Men mansion, Ideas Botanic Gardens, and Dec 1 or 2025 modular, I’d say I’m most interested in the colours.  On my modular city I’m now missing yellowish green/spring green, reddish orange, warm tan per Cho Chang Brickheadz, and now the new rumoured colour which looks like tan/mustard.  Also coral, it’s only in flowers in Boutique Hotel.  So hoping these new/recent colours will be used.

I think I’ll pass on X-Men mansion, haven’t got any Marvel modulars, prefer to do custom ones/buy instructions from likes of peedeejay or simon84.

And may pass on Botanical Gardens, I’ve already mod’d 2 x Friends sets, although I’ve already a few museums and that didn’t stop me getting Natural History Museum.

But it’s not a 100% given I’ll continue to get the yearly modular, there’s more choice nowadays plus custom sets.

Anyway Lego, let’s have some reddish orange and yellowish green, otherwise I’ll have to think of how to get these colours in myself!

[Lion King]

Oooh, reddish orange and yellowish green colors sound interesting for non-licensed modular buildings! 

I never have issues with “unrealistic” colors for modular buildings like olive green for Natural History Museum,  combination of dark red, blue, and  bright yellow for Jazz Club, comination of lavender andn tan for Police Station. With artist’s eye, I think they look fantastic in thier own ways. It is very fun to make our modular cities more colorful rather than “standard” colors,  such as gray, tan and brick red. 

[RichardGoring]

Using more of the colour palette would be great. I recently built the Bricklink MOC Pop-up Store Glass Studio modular by @MingBrick which uses aqua and it looks fabulous. It's also a wonderful build. I really like the colour blocking in this and I definitely want to do something else with aqua and a few other colours too. Considering lavender at the moment.

[GregD]

Nice!.., and I still mainly go for basic colours as the predominant colours, just having an awning or shop front, or bike, or curtains or whatever as a different colour works well I think..

[jonwil]

I would love to see a modular that used a lot of earth green. There aren't many sets that contain any real quantity of that color.

 

Edited August 19 by jonwil

[RichardGoring]

1 hour ago, jonwil said:

I would love to see a modular that used a lot of earth green. There aren't many sets that contain any real quantity of that color.

 

I bought a couple of the Harry Potter Ministry of Magic sets on heavy discount last year to try and do exactly that.

An official modular with the colour would be great.

[DimiNi]

I dont think they are going to make an inverted corner, because it just does not have so much display-ability.

Ofc collectors need that kind of buildings for their Cities, but I dont think Lego is going to release a Set where only 1/5 is a front and the rest are walls :D